Improvement in locks for cell-doors



J'. SARGENT.

LOCKS FOR CELL DOORS.

No. 190,627. Patented May 8,1877.

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ILPEHS. PHOTO-UTHOGRAPNER, WASHlNGTON. D CA UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE,

JAMESSARGENT, 0F ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCKS FOR CELL-DOORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 190,627, dated May 8,1877; application tiled February 5, 1877.

To all 'wiom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES SARGENT, of Rochester, in the county of Monroeand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Locks-for Cell-Doors, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to certain improvements in cellAdoor locks forprisons, its principal object being to provide a lock in which the boltwhich secures the door may cbe held in a 4retracted position whenunlocked, and automatically projected into a locked position by theclosing of the door.

The invention consists in the combination, with the .main spring-bolt ofa lock for cell or other doors, adapted to be heldin a retractedposition by means of a dog, pawl, or catch, and be released by theaction of the-door in riding past the end ot' said bolt, of atumblerlock having a spring-bolt which, when locked, connects with andholds the main bolt in a locked condition, and when unlocked admits ofthe main bolt being retracted, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure l represents a view of a prison cell-door,showing my improved lock attached to the jamb ofthe door, with the boltsin a locked position, and Fig. 2 represents an enlarged view of the lockdetached,

having its face or front removed to show the interior of the lock.

The letter A represents the cell-door opening outwardly, and B the jambor framing thereof. O represents the main bolt of the lock, constructedand arranged to slide back and forth in a casing, D, or other suitablesupport secured to the jamb or frame of the door, in such position thatthe front end of the bolt Will project over the edge of the door, andsecurely hold it when the bolt is projected forward into a lockedposition, the rear end of said bolt, or other convenient portion of thesame, being provided with `a knob or handle, E, by means of which it maybe retracted. A

The letter F represents a supplemental lock arranged in such relation tothe main bolt C that when the bolt is projected forward it will dog andlock the 'said main bolt and securely hold it in position, the main boltbeing proi vided with a recess in its under side, into which the end ofthe bolt of the supplementary lock projects for the purpose. Saidsupplementary lock is constructed with a series of tumblers, I, operatedby the key which operates the bolt, said tumblers being serrated attheir free ends, and slotted outwardly for the passage of the fence Kwhen said tum blers are all in line, the edge of' the fence adjoiningthe tumblers being also serrated, preferably in an opposite direction tothe serrations on the edges ot' the tumblers to secure the lock againstpicking. To the outer end of the key-hub L, which turns with the key, issecured a lever, M, by means of which the bolt and tumblers may be more.conveniently operated and held in an unlocked position While retractingthe main bolt.

In order to automatically lock the main bolt by the act of closing thedoor, the said bolt is provided with a spring, N, one end of which issecured to the bolt and the other to the casing or support of said bolt,and a dog, pawl, or catch P, which is adapted to catch and hold the mainbolt in a retracted position, is arranged to enter a recess, Q, formedin the bolt, being held therein by the forward pressure of the mainholt. The said dog, pawl, or catch is so constructed and arranged as tohold the. main bolt in its retracted position only when said bolt ispressed forward on the dog, catch, or pawl, the latter being releasedautomatically by means of a spring when the bolt is moved slightly tothe rear.

To effect this movement of the bolt it is beveled at its front end,which projects so as to be slightly in the way ot' the edge of the doorwhen in its retracted position, so as to be subjected to a snubbingaction as the door is closed, which forces the bolt slightly backward,releasing the dog, pawl, or catch, and allowing the spring N to projectthe bolt and lock the door.

The bolt of the supplemental lock is connected to one end of a spring,S, the other end of which is secured to the interior of thesupplemental-lock casing, which has a con` stant tendency to project thebolt forward, and will, when the main bolt is projected into a lockedposition, be automatically projected into the recess in the m'ain bolt,and thus securely lock it.

The lock casing or support may be secured to the jamb of the door in anyconvenient manner, but preferably by means of screws T passing throughsuitable apertures which are countersnnk, the portion above the shoulderupon which the screw-head rests being threaded in order to hold afilling to be inserted after the screws are driven in, in order toprevent the screws from being readily unscrewed for the unauthorizedremoval of the lock.

rIhe operation of the invention will be readily understood. To unlockthe door the bolt of the supplemental lock is retracted by means of aproper key, releasing the main bolt, which can then be retracted by itshandle. The dog, pawl, or catch is locked into the main bolt by handwhile said main bolt is in its retracted position, holding said bolt inplace to be snubbed and automatically projected by the closing of thecell-door.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- The combination,with the main springbolt of a lock for cell and other doors, adapted tobe held in a retracted position by means of a dog, pawl, or catch; andbe released by the action of the door in riding past the end of saidbolt, of a tumbler-lock having a springbolt which, when locked, connectswith and holds the main bolt in a locked condition, and when unlockedadmits of the main bolt being retracted, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand inthe presence of the subscribing witnesses.

JAMES SARGENT.

Witnesses:

J AMES L. NORRIS, Jos. L. OooMBs.

